Atonement
by Fallenwolfe
Summary: An umbreon tells the story of vengeance and remorse as he struggles to right the wrongs of the past.
1. Chapter 1

Please enjoy, let me know what you think!

I stopped, listened, and waited. Shadows danced around my dark furred form and the clattering noise from the busy city streets concealed the sound of my breathless panting. And then I heard them, they rushed by with angry growls and loud snarls. They knocked over piles of trash and lit the fog of the murky alleyway with sparks of flame from their flaring nostrils. I had to find some way to lose them, at this rate my lungs would either explode or they would find me and tear me to small strips of umbreon jerky.

"Hey! I can smell him, he's somewhere around here!" now I knew I was done for. I lowered myself as far into the dumpster as possible, trying to hide, just hoping the shadows would swallow me and I could disappear. _Just don't let them find me, please whatever gods exist, don't let them find me!_

Frustration and anger filled my blood as my whole body tensed, waiting for them to discover me. _Just don't move, not yet, _I dug my claws into a piece of cardboard under my feet, my adrenaline spiking as my pursuer stopped just in front of my hiding place.

"Are you boys looking for something? Maybe a good time by chance?" the voice was sultry and unmistakably feminine, filled with lust just begging to be satisfied. It came from the outside, right behind my dumpster, and I heard the soft fall of paws as the female pokemon landed on the lid right above me.

"Fang! Your nose must be ruined from digging through garbage all the time; it's only a deprived whore!"

My body felt like it was going to break from all the adrenaline the sense of fear was injecting into my veins, and then I froze. My mind stopped, just outside the crack where I had squeezed in through I could see the angry flashing embers sparking from the houndoom's dripping jaws.

"No way! I'm tellin' you I can still smell him!" I bared my fangs, ready to fight. He was looking right at me, but the female stole his attention.

"What? You mean that scared little kit trying to run for his life?" she purred as she rubbed herself against the hellhound's side, but I still couldn't see what pokemon she was.

A deep and foreboding growl cut her off, the voice pierced through the darkness in my soul and chilled my heart, instinctively I curled farther back into the corner, "What do you know about this brat?"

The female let out a hiss of air, "Well aren't you the bossy one? He ran through here a few minutes ago looking for a place to tuck his tail and I kicked him out."

Warily I peek through the crack, the houndoom had his back turned and was watching the female saunter up to a mighthyena, I could barely make out her solid black paws and a glowing reflection of yellow rings in a puddle of water, _another umbreon!_

"Aww, but surely such handsome, big dogs like you are wasting time and energy chasing a little runt like that?"

She flinched as the mighthyena snarled at her, gleaming fangs a hair's breadth from her face, "Stop wasting my time slut!"

Regaining her composure, the umbreon sat back on her haunches and started grooming her fur, she mumbled lowly without looking up, "He took the expressway to the park…"

Raging in purple energy and flames the houndoom and mighthyena sprinted down an adjacent alleyway followed closely by two zoroark that I hadn't seen before.

Exhausted I planted my head into the side of the trash can, hoping that the world would just disappear and I would be back with my trainer, camping in the woods next to a fire, just like the old days.

"It's okay, they're gone now, you can come out kid." Immediately my eyes snapped open and I banished the thought, _It wasn't my fault, we both knew the price we'd have to pay, we did what we had to. It's over now._

With a sigh I pulled myself through the crack in the lid and landed next to my savior, I wary frown dominating my muzzle, "Thanks." I kept my voice low and quiet or else it would have cracked from stress and then I walked down the side street that ran opposite of the one my pursuers had taken.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" her crimson eyes were glaring at me like I owed her something, I just rolled my own in response.

"Obviously away from here, have a nice night." With that I turned to make sure no one else was following me before slinking through the shadows back into the busy lamp lit streets filled with cars, pokemon, and people, even at four in the morning.

"Hey wait you little jerk! You owe me!" I just snorted as she ran up next to me, "look kid, obviously you just got out on your own so I'll," – "Shut up…"

The female umbreon stopped midsentence, apparently shocked at being cut off, "Just cause you haven't seen me before doesn't mean I'm some little kit who got lost and ran into some bullies, I guarantee that you haven't lived half as long as I have, you still got a lot to learn."

My stomach growled…_Damn, all that running is catching up, I gotta' get some food and lose this girl too. _"Well if you're so smart Mr. Tough guy, why'd you let yourself get caught?"

I rolled my eyes, this girl was rubbing my nerves raw. We passed a line of vendors selling hot dogs, pretzels, pokebait, and any number of other foods imaginable, just then a light bulb went off in my head,

"Here make yourself useful." Care tires squealed and metal screamed as vehicles swerved and crashed into one another in an attempt to avoid hitting the stunned umbreon I had just body slammed into the fatal lanes of traffic.

The world stretched into a blurred tunnel of street lights and indiscriminate shapes as I used the distraction to snag a line of freshly grilled barboach and made of into the night using my quick attack.

Barely a few minutes later I fell out of the speeding tunnel, my legs quivering from exhaustion and my lungs burning for air in heavy, painful gasps. That was the longest I've ever used that ability and it quickly took its toll as I struggled to fight the wave of nausea rushing through my skull, but I had to be positive I wasn't followed. The hideout was only a few blocks away and the sun had begun to push away the comforting darkness of the midnight shadows.

Warily I shouldered open the broken hinged piece of plywood hiding the small hole in the broken foundation of the long abandoned pokecenter. I had barely caught a glimpse of the broken plastered walls and dust smothered counter before I was tackled to the floor by an unseen foe.

"Mmph! Ha! I got you uncle, what now huh? You said I'd never catch you off guard, but I got you! What now huh?"

Weakly I chuckled and tried to push myself back to my feet, but the effort cost too much and with a soft thud I just fell lamely to the floor. The world blurred as I lost focus on it and my vision mushed everything into a black sheet of half consciousness.

"SIS! Big sis, wake up! HURRY! C'mon! Somebody help!" Screams echoed as if from the other side of a wall, it sounded like somebody had smothered the world with a pair of earmuffs, but I fought to stay wake and the cries continued to echo in my mind, "Don't worry uncle, I'll get help. SIS, hurry over here!"

His voice warped and slipped away, I was losing my grip on the voices, there was worried sobbing but it was jumbled and indiscernible. I could feel a warmth spread over my body, as if the harsh sun had finally found peace with my dark type soul and I could swear I was floating in a sea of warmth, then I saw her, the angel, welcoming me back to life.

Moaning I opened my eyes and blinked, as harsh sunlight filled my world, _I guess the sun hasn't made peace with me, damn that hurts. _"Rosco, close those curtains, I don't need it anymore, besides he's waking up." The voice was soft and sweet, but it wasn't an angel after all, it was the voice of a slim and attractive espeon who was glaring down at me with a worried frown and creased bright blue eyes.

"How do you feel? You nearly died last night…" her voice was low and she was close to sobbing.

I split my muzzle with a grin and jumped to my feet, "Like I just took a nap in a luxury ball!" I kept a straight face as my vision swirled with the sudden vertigo and I wanted to puke from the dizzy circles my head was spinning in. "did all the kids get enough to eat?"

A sad smile broke her frown and she shook her head, "You're unbelievable, I don't know how you do it. You show up in a dead heap and still manage to worry more about others."

Quietly I shook my head, glancing at the pokecubs sitting quietly around us, watching our conversation with fixed attentions. A small houndour stood alert on a plastic and aluminum chair underneath the wide, curtain covered window directly across from the reception counter. An even younger eevee, barely in her teens, sat on her haunches atop the old broken PC next to the counter. And in various shelves and sills sat an assortment of other cubs, their ages ranged from recently hatched to others who have seen themselves in multiple battles. All orphans, the majority were eeveelutions, but scattered here and there were a few growlithes and vulpix, they had all been left behind in the sudden and inexplicable failed demolition of the pokecenter.

Over exaggerating a yawn, I dug my sharp claws into the tiles of the floor and stretched my body, "Hey guys, go out and play, I'll hang out later, you know I'm not a morning guy!"

With a mixture of yelps, laughs, and chattering the room was quickly emptied except for the houndour named Rosco and the little eevee.

"Aren't you two gonna' go play?" the espeon's question brought a scowl to the young fire dog's muzzle.

"Are you joking sis? I wanna' hear what happened to uncle Eve." And the eevee let out a squeak as she maliciously crushed a weedle that was lurking on the faded keyboard,

"Yea, me too, pwease uncle?" I laughed, there was no way I could keep a straight face at her pleading auburn eyes.

"Okay, Rosco, Lily, go off and play and I'll tell you after the rest of the gang goes to sleep."

Cheering in victory the two ran out the back door to play with the others and still tired I padded back to my room with the espeon by my side.

We pushed through the non-responsive sliding door into the last room at the end of the hallway. It was curtained with black sheets and was completely dark, just the way I liked it.

"Evan, you need to stop pushing yourself so hard, my morning sun could barely bring you back." She stopped and took a breath, my eyes could see the glint of teardrops forming on her cheeks, but she went on, "we all owe you so much, none of us would have survived if you hadn't stopped the wreckers, but there's no way we could go on if we lost you!"

Suddenly she buried her muzzle in my shoulder, shaking with fear? Anger? I wasn't sure, but I needed to tell her, I couldn't put it off any longer. Gently I placed my chin on top of her head and held her as best I could with my forepaw, "Sylvia, listen, it's not safe for the kids while I'm here anymore."

She stopped crying and pulled away, "what do you mean? You can't say that, you have to stay, we need you…I need you…"

Sadly I shook my head, "You have to take care of yourselves now, Rosco is more than capable of taking charge of the gang and Lily will make sure he doesn't become corrupt, and you will be here to watch them all." She growled at me in frustration but I finally had to say it, no matter how much the memories hurt, "Sylvia, look at me, do you remember when I told you about my trainer, about how I got here?" she just nodded, _damn, why does my heart still hurt he's been gone for years, _"well, _They've_ found me, I have to leave…"

She tackled me to the floor and buried her face in the soft tuft of fur on my chest and choked out one word, "NO!" then she broke down in tears.


	2. Chapter 2

I would like to apologize for the unnecessary long wait, it took me a while to get my thoughts organized.

CHAPTER 2

It had been nearly a month since I had left the Pokecenter. My spirits were at an all-time low as I looked back on the towering skyscrapers fading in the distance. Not even the setting sun, my favorite time of day, brought me any happiness.

I continued my lonely trod through the fading forest paths, I couldn't stop the thoughts of regret that had begun to dominate my mind as I slowly paced toward my destination. _If only I had finished that job all those years ago, none of this would have happened. _

By the time I stopped moping the night had taken over the sky, and my spirits rose as I watched a group of fireflies playing over a pond that connected two rivers on their way to the ocean. I looked around and saw a strange structure set in the middle of the water. It looked like a large bird house or beehive, but I pushed it to the back of my mind as I crouched down to take a drink of water from a steep edge.

My paws had begun to get sore from the constant walking and my fur was starting to tangle from sweat and grime. With that gang on my tail I could rarely afford to stop since I left them behind, and I hadn't except to eat or sleep. _I think I may be able to take a break for one day._

Sighing I paced into the mildly warm water, rolling the tensed knots from my shoulders and hindquarters as the pond gradually soothed my paws and I dove in, holding my breath as I rubbed my back into the sandy bottom. Playfully I twisted and turned, cleaning the sweat and knots from my sleek black fur, taking full advantage of the moment to act like a cub again. _For once in my life, no worries or responsibilities, I can do what I want just for fun, it's been a while since I've felt this free._

_ After a while of pointless splashing I waded back to shore and shook out the water from my fur. Overhead the moon dominated the sky as I began licking my coat in an attempt to groom what I could. As I ran my tongue through the fluffy layer of black hairs my mind drifted back to the days I had shared with Sylvia and the kids at the run down pokecenter. I remembered the nights she and I had spent together, all the times I sat staring pointlessly at the rising sun and she was there. She kept the darkness in me from lashing out at the world with her warm heart and she took my mind off of the hate with her passionate love. _

My head snapped up as my thoughts were broken by a high pitched giggle. I looked towards the water and saw a disturbance in the gentle, wind-blown ripples. Scowling, I leered at the waters, scanning for whatever made the sound. I reeled back in shock as a stream of water jetted at my face. Snarling I recovered and crouched, ready for a fight with a shadow ball building in my chest.

"Wait! I'm sorry, we were only playing!" the dark energy faded as my brain registered the voice of a frightened young female. Still scowling I stared down the shoreline, trying to find the source of the voice, but I was starting to get irritated.

"Show yourself!" my bark cut through the silent forest I was answered by a pair of frightened yelps as a pair of sleek, dripping vaporeon twins slowly emerged from the calm waters. My breath stopped for a moment at the sight of the wo young girls and I took a second to get it back, "what are you two doing out here?" I regained my bearing and the two shifted nervously. They were nearly idental, both were fit and sleek, their light blue skin shone in the moonlight and their strong tails arched gracefully behind them, finally one of them spoke up.

"Please, don't hurt us, my sister was only trying to play. We were abandoned here to take care of this old shrine, but nobody travels here anymore, it gets very lonely."

My gut told me that she was telling the truth, and my gut was never wrong, so I decided I could stay here a little longer.

Our conversation started like any normal one. Taking turns the twins questioned me about the events of the world and the going ons of everyday life in the city, I guessed that they had never left this forest. So I answered them to the best of my knowledge, until I became aware that they had gradually slid closer and closer until they were leaning on my sides and one of them began to nuzzle my chest.

"Hey-," my voice faltered as the vaporeon gazed into my eyes. I was powerless, lost in the haze of her ice blue pupils. I thought of Sylvia, I couldn't betray her like this; I could never look her in the face again if I allowed this to happen. The thought gave me the inner strength to resist and I nearly broke free of the power of her attract, until the second twin began running her tongue through my crotch. It had been long enough since my last time that my dog-hood needed no more encouragement than a soft, wet tongue stroking it roughly. The first twin didn't even need to hold her attack any longer and she joined her sister as pure animal lust took over my body.

Roughly, I fucked their faces, one after the other and back again, digging my claws into their shoulders as I rammed my raging red penis mercilessly down their throats. On and off they let out cute little whimpers of pain as I left gouges on their necks and shoulders, but most of the time the only sound they made were chocked gurgles and high pitched moans. After a while of pleasuring my hard red cock in their soft moist throats I decided to take this night the rest of the way. Panting, I removed my throbbing penis from the twin's mouth I was currently fucking and let them catch their breath.

"Turn around." They knew I was the one in charge now because they obediently turned and crouched low, raising their well-formed hips so their tails were raised and I could clearly see the glistening moisture dripping from their soft pink outer folds. One of them looked back and gazed at me with begging eyes.

"Please, take me first!" my fangs glinted white in the moonlight as I grinned manically, my mind lost in the overpowering haze of dark lust. Rearing behind her I roughly locked my sharp claws into the surprisingly soft layer of short, nearly invisible fur that covered her body. With one thrust I rammed through her folds and pierced her cervix. Her cry of pain rang out into the dark forest as I felt a small resistance on the way into her clenching, soft baby-blue vaginal tunnel, I had just split through her virginity! I snarled in triumph and dominance as I rode the inexperienced female, my thrusts driving deeper and deeper as her tight pussy contracted around my rigid cock. Her dripping cunt and ever tightening walls massaged my yearning penis as thrust after thrust I drove her into a shuddering orgasm.

With a sudden pop my knot forced its way into her clenching lips and we were locked together, I shuddered as I shot my load into her womb. I ejaculated spurt after spurt from my raging dick into her young folds and the power of it caused her to whimper in pleasure. Disappointed, but still happy for her younger sister the twin congratulated her counterpart as I patiently waited for the young vaporeon to release my knot, but it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Still in heat the older twin wanted satisfaction, any way she could get it, which came in the form of her little sister. My bulging red cock tightened as I watched my knotted partner shove her muzzle into her sister's twat and began lapping away. She twisted and dug with her tongue, trying to reach every dripping wet crevice as was possible. But I was growing tired and yawned as the first rays of sun began to cut through the forest canopy. Finally the vaporeon climaxed as the rays lit the sparkling waters of the lake and both sisters collapsed in exhausted ecstasy.

Finally my knot popped out in a rush of slimy pussy juice and dripping semen. I fell asleep to the gentle lathering of soft tongues as the sisters lapped the juices from my sex soaked penis.

Stretching, I yawned and blinked the sleep from my eyes, dusk had begun to fall over in the peaceful shrine and I lazily padded to the edge of the pond and drank from the clean clear waters. The twins had disappeared and left no trace behind. It didn't matter how hard I looked, there wasn't a single ripple out of place. I could do nothing but hang my head in shame as I paced my way out of the clearing and made my way to the end of the forest, I had betrayed Sylvia, and I could feel the black vengeful anger begin to take over my dark type soul.


	3. Chapter 3

As always I hope you enjoy my work, please leave any comments, questions, concerns, bitches, moans, or complaints in my inbox and I'll get back to you.

CHAPTER 3

Explosions rocked the street as I jumped out of the path of the raging breath of fire. Growling, I blasted back with my signature shadow ball; the demonic surge of black energy raced toward the houndoom and knocked him against the brick wall of the hotel behind him. I left him with his skull fractured and his face spilling blood as I whirled around to try and find a way to stop the fire from spreading.

Roaring in hatred I stiffened my tail as I concentrated on the feel of iron encasing the normally fluffy fur, I twisted my body and swung my tail at a fire hydrant on the side of the street; the valve burst open in a shower of sparks as a deluge of water began pounding against the flames. But it only served to halt the spread of the napalm that houndoom had spread, I had to contain this in time for the humans to get help.

By now a large group of pokemon and humans had arrived to witness the fight, some stared in awe and others tried to rush to help but the flames were too intense for them to get through the raging wall of liquid flames. I spun around as a fierce growling sent shivers down my spine, it was the mightyena.

I leered angrily at him, my eyes turned to solid crimson as my dark type began to consume my soul, "Oneill, it's been a while you traitor! I guess you've finally showed up so I can rip your carcass apart like I should have when I had the chance!" Squaring off I launched a shadow ball at him, we had fought before but I was in no way prepared for the chain of attacks that followed.

One second he was there, about to be mangled by my attack, I grinned in blood thirst, until he disappeared without moving and I felt a powerful set of jaws lock around the back of my neck. My world spun as I felt my body lose weight and I became disoriented. Blackness filled my vision for a moment and slowly the world came back into focus, I tried to move my neck but stopped as searing pain shot through my spine and ran throughout my body. A red haze filled my eyes and I could make out my opponent calmly walking toward me, his outline made fearsome by the backdrop of drifting smoke and the orange rage of spitting flames. Faintly I could make out his voice, he was trying to sound comforting, but I had fallen for that once already.

He shook his black and grey mane sadly, "C'mon man! Just forget about it already, I have. Just call it even and we could be friends again, like we were when Tarum was here, forget about that old power plant, what did you expect me to do, we were outnumbered ten to one, they offered us a way out, how could you refuse that?!"

I coughed and my spine felt like it was going to explode in pain, the taste of blood filled my mouth and a spray of red droplets spattered the pavement at my rival's paws, "You have no right-for-any-sympathy," I was cut off by another painful burst of blood and I tried to go on, "I'll-be—damned, if I let you talk about-my trainer-like that!" Oneill split into two as my vision swam and my consciousness wavered. Whatever had happened I needed to reverse it, I closed my eyes and felt the rays of the moon shining down, desperately I willed them to come to me and slowly, I felt the pain begin to ease away, but I was interrupted by a paw shoving my muzzle into the cold hard stone ground and I felt one of my fangs chip.

"Listen to me Eve! It hurt me just as badly as it did you," he was breathing heavily, he had not lost his bearing, but I could tell he was stressed, "How do you think I felt when I had to look him in the eyes as he bled out and begged for his forgiveness, did you know that!? He begged me for forgiveness, he APOLOGIZED! To me, for whatever he had done wrong to make me do what I did, it killed me inside!"

Wincing I tried to get out from under his large paw, but he was simply too heavy, and he pushed harder against my face. Then I felt nothing, I gave up and shadows devoured my being completely. I could hear screams and growling, there were more explosions, but it was like listening through a brick wall, and I felt scared and small, just like when I was an eevee on that dark night when Tarum found me and brought me into his life. I was curled into a small fetal ball of fur, surrounded by grinning demons and dripping red fangs, evil faces and blood red eyes swirled all around me, I was going insane.

Groaning, I opened my eyes. It was dark and the moon hovered above me in the sky, surrounded by the soft twinkling of white and blue stars, the environment brought me a sense of peace and relaxation, I laid my head back on the soft pillow and closed my eyes, _Wait! A pillow?_ I shot up and looked around me. The room was spacious for a pokemon my size, against the wall was a simple hospital bed and the floor was covered by a soft plush carpet, I was lying in a soft basket made for smaller pokemon and the walls were completely black, I was in a pokecenter!

_What's going on here? What happened to the fire and all those people and pokemon?_ The sound of sliding doors drew my attention and I looked over as a human poke nurse walked in, followed by a pink chansey carrying a bowl of good smelling stew. The nurse smiled good naturedly and pulled out a stethoscope, she offered out a peaceful hand with some steak chunks in it, "Hi I'm nurse Aymie, I heard about what you did for all those poor people that got trapped in that horrible fire, I'm just going to make sure your pulse is stable and your vital organs are okay, is that fine with you?"

She had a kind smile and smelled nice, so I shrugged and snatched up a chunk of meat and started nibbling on it. I tried to stretch my neck as the nurse put a gentle hand softly on my shoulder, but somehow it was immobilized. I could move it in small angles but when I tried to look down as Aymie held the cold metal disk to my chest I felt a stiff resistance, she looked at me and scratched between my ears as she concentrated, "please don't move umbreon, you will end up tearing the cast." I stopped moving and instead looked over at the chansey, who had set the bowl down next to my basket and had prepared a fresh pile of linen wraps and a tub of steaming water with a wash cloth.

She smiled when she looked at me and waved cheerily, "Hi, I was there helping the pokemon that got hurt in that fire, I think it was really amazing the way you chased of that horrible mighthyena, he was very scary." Her voice was high pitched, but in a cute way, I frowned as she pulled out a brown bottle of medicine from the pocket of her white apron.

"What do you mean, he nearly killed me, that's why I'm here, Isn't it?" Aymie finished her inspection and began tenderly peeling off the strange rubbery cast and nodded to chansey.

Chansey smiled and began soaking the cloth in the water, and shook her head happily, "I couldn't see anything through the flames when we were called in, but all of the sudden there was a massive dark pulse of purple energy and all the flames just went out," she began humming to herself as she handed the cloth to the nurse, who began gingerly wiping down my neck and sides, the chansey continued to tell her story, "it was really frightening and a lot of people ran away, even I wanted to, but I just couldn't leave all of the suffering pokemon behind," I winced as the nurse began to dap around my neck but I held back the yip of pain, chansey's voice helped distract my mind, "it's okay, we have to make sure it's clean, it looks like you got bit really hard, but anyway, you were just standing there, it was really creepy, your eyes and rings were glowing and you just looked at him, then just walked toward him and he ran away!"

I yipped a little when the warm water cloth lightly brushed over my spine and I broke out in spasms, the nurse had a concerned look on her face, "this is not good, I don't know how you survived, as deep as these bites are your spine should have snapped, you're lucky to be alive, but if we're not careful you could still end up dead or permanently crippled, how did you survive?" I furrowed my eyes and frowned, as the nurse put the cloth down, "chansey, don't let him move I need to get Doctor Aragan." Chansey nodded and waved cheerily, nothing seemed to get her spirits down, and she looked at me curiously, "how did you survive? Mighthyena are known for having the strongest bite of all pokemon besides dragons of course, but-," she seemed at a loss for words, so I told her.

I took a deep breath and looked her in the eye, "I'll tell you something that nobody knows who are still alive, but if I tell you a healing secret will you let me go? I need to leave, today." She looked around nervously, and bit her lip, eventually she nodded.

"Um, okay, I would like to learn how to heal others." I smiled and explained it to her.

"A long time ago, before we had potions and poke centers, people and pokemon had to rely on each other to stay alive, so they made friends with each other and many pokemon had to learn how to heal themselves to survive." I took a painful breath and chansey waited for me to go on, "some pokemon used the sun, some used the moon, some used berries, and some could heal just by using the goodness in their soul." I coughed and started to bleed a little, chansey squeaked and reached for the cloth, but I stopped her, "no, it's okay, anyway since poke centers and healing sprays are so easily available trainers and pokemon have lost the need to learn healing moves, but some of us still know how, most of us have grown up alone on the street without parents or humans."

She looked at me amazed, "Are you telling the truth?" I barely nodded and my spine erupted in pain, she looked at me with hope in her eyes, "so could you teach me?"

I wasn't sure what time of day it was, but I closed my eyes and felt for the moon. It was faint and far off, I could tell it was still day time, but I concentrated and pulled what energy I could from the distant moon. Chansey gasped as I felt some of the small punctures on my neck close and the bones in my neck grew a small amount stronger. "all you have to do is concentrate, and then you have to want to heal, you have to want it more than anything else in the world for that moment, my healing powers come from the moon, you'll have to find where yours comes from."

She nodded excitedly and closed her eyes, I waited a while and she began to sway and chant to herself, then she began to glow in a soft yellow light. I watched in curiosity as the light flowed to the tip of her paw and she placed it on my head. My eyes widened in amazement as I felt a warm rushing spread through my body and my wounds nearly instantly closed and my spine straightened and my bruised ribs no longer pained me.

Chansey began jumping up and down in excitement and dancing around me. I rolled my shoulders and popped my neck. I went to take a sip of the stew but stopped as my sensitive ears picked up a yelp of agony from the room next door. I ran out of the room and slid on the smooth floor to the next door, I tried getting in but the chansey followed me and blocked my way, "No!, you can't go in there, she's laying an egg!" I stopped suddenly and licked my nose awkwardly as a slight blush crept through my fur.

"Oh, it's just that scream sounded familiar," I shuffled awkwardly and turned to go back to my room, "umm, I'll just go have some of that stew then." Just before I walked away a nurse came rushing out with bloody towels and I caught a glimpse of pale blue, short sleek fur and a pair of icy blue eyes, before she hurriedly closed the door and rushed off down the hall.

The stew was delicious and I was just beginning to fall asleep in the comfy, padded basket as nurse Aymie returned, followed by a short man with a large belly and full beard dressed in a brown trench coat and matching bowler. Chansey looked up nervously as Aymie came in and looked at me in shock, "Chansey, you shouldn't have let him move, you know how badly hurt he is!"

Chansey began shaking her head and trying to explain as the human doctor rushed over to me, but they couldn't understand her. I looked up and stepped out of the basket as the doctor knelt by me and looked at me. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as he looked me over, "excuse me Miss Aymie, but I can't find any injuries on this pokemon whatsoever, let alone what you described to me."

Aymie was at a loss for words as she knelt down and looked at my neck, "but I don't understand, you couldn't even move when I left, it can't be possible, how?!" I yipped and stood next to chansey and wagged my bushy, gold ringed tail. "You did it chansey? But how?"

My ears flattened against my skull as I heard shouting from the hallway, "Nurse Aymie, come quickly, we found another burn victim!" the nurse opened the door and waved down the hallway,

"We have room in here, bring him in." I quickly stepped out of the way as a stretcher was pushed in. On top of it was a Machoke that tossed back and forth, his normally light gray skin blackened and peeling off at the arms and on his muscled chest. "Chansey, do you have any burn heal?"

Chansey shook her head and climbed on the bed next to the stretcher, she closed her eyes again and began swaying like before, her outline began to glow and she focused the energy and healed the Machoke's burns, this time the effort left her exhausted and she nearly fell over. Slowly the Machoke sat up and looked down his body; he flexed his arms and slid off of the stretcher. Everyone stood by in amazement at what chansey had done. And I discreetly slipped out the door and left the poke center, into the beautiful lit streets of the thriving cerulean city that had grown ever more large and graceful over the years.

I slinked my way through the massive system of water ways and bridges, looking for the hideout that was so familiar in the days when Tarum was still alive. Thuggish pokemon glared at me from every corner, and young and old girls alike had turned to whoring, trying to seduce me for whatever they could get, but I was no stranger to the violent crowds that roamed the streets in the dark hours of the night.

Finally, after one last turn, I came to a bridge that led through the heart of the city. It was not a magnificent or even noteworthy bridge, the paint was torn and faded from years of wear, and a rusted brass plaque rotted next to the handrail, I could barely make out the words. _'Nugget Bridge' where famous trainers crossed on their paths to glory. _I snorted in amusement, _whatever this bridge had once been it's just a broken landmark for a hideout of cutthroats and mercenaries._ Shaking my head I sat at the edge of the bank and looked into the moonlit reflection of the sparkling river. Frowning I stared at an umbreon who had been beaten down by the world and refused to stay broken. I wiggled my long pointed ear and noticed there was a chunk missing from it where the fur changed to gold and made a band around it. _Dammit, I love my gold fur spots, I'm gonna kill Oneill._

"Hey cutie, am I interrupting anything?" I slowly turned to face the dark, foreboding female that had snuck up behind me, I cocked my head to the side and furrowed my brow at the purple and yellow ringed Liepard, "what's the matter, aren't you happy to see and old friend?" she mewled as she sauntered up beside me and started rubbing against me, I coldly pushed her away.

"I'm here for business." She stopped and looked at me sadly.

"Where have you been all these years?" I cracked my neck and stared up at the moon, ignoring her question, "the least you could do is talk to me, it's not like we weren't close or anything." Her voice was sad and had a tint of sarcasm I could tell she was hurting but I didn't care, those days were gone.

"Where's the boss, I need some dirt." I glared into her emerald eyes with my crimson ones and she held it, for a little while, until she started crying.

"What happened to you?! I loved you; it was supposed to be the last job! And then you never came back! I waited in misery for a year, crying myself to sleep hoping you would come home, but you never did!" I snarled as she shoved her muzzle into my shoulder.

My voice was soft and quiet as regret filtered into my dart type heart, "listen Jasmine, I'm sorry I left you, it pained me thinking of you, but I couldn't come back." Her crying settled into subdued sniffles, "the job went bad. Tarum's dead and Oneill is with Holbrook's gang. They never stopped following me and eventually they found me, so now I'm going to finish the job, and I need the boss's help."

Jasmine took a breath and sighed, "Fine, the Fortune's Pub has been moved though, with the renovations to the water ways it caused this area to flood and we got washed out, but please," She looked at me with her sad, wide green eyes, "after you're done will we finally settle down together?"

I nearly pined as we began walking back into the lamp lit water ways and twisting dark alleys, I couldn't bear to hurt her anymore tonight, "Sure, I'll do my best…"


End file.
